STANDARDS OF CONDUCT

Vernon L. Butler
Interim Superintendent

BISD
July 22, 2014
Standards of Conduct

All employees are expected to work together in a
cooperative spirit to serve the best interest of the
district and to be courteous to.
Students.
One Another..
and To The Public
Standards of Conduct
Employees are expected to observe the following
standards of conduct:
Recognize and respect the rights of students,
parents, other employees and members of the
community.
Maintain confidentiality in all matters relating to
students and coworkers.
Report to work according to the assigned schedule.
Notify their immediate supervisor in advance or as
early as possible in the event that they must be
absent or late. Unauthorized absences, chronic
absenteeism, tardiness and failure to follow
procedures for reporting an absence may be cause
for disciplinary action.

Standards of Conduct
Know and comply with department and district
policies and procedures.
Express concerns, complaints, or criticism through
appropriate channels.
Observe all safety rules and regulations and report
injuries or unsafe conditions to a supervisor
immediately.
Use district time, funds, and property for
authorized district business and activities only.

All district employees should perform their duties in
accordance with state and federal law, district
policies and procedures and ethical standards.
Violation of policies, regulations, or guidelines may
result in disciplinary action, including
termination.


Standards of Conduct

Alleged incidents of certain
misconduct by educators,
including having a criminal record
must be reported to SBEC not
later than the seventh day after
the Superintendent first learns of
the incident.

Code of Ethics

Read It
Know It!

What is the Code of Ethics for
Educators?
1. The Code of Ethics for Educators is a
standard of conduct, or set of
guiding principles adopted by the
State Board for Educator
Certification (SBEC) that is intended
to instruct educators in Texas on
how they are expected to behave.
2. The Code of Ethics can be found in
Texas Administrative Code (TAC)
under Title 19, Part 7, Chapter 247.

What is SBECs primary goal for
enforcing the Code of Ethics?
The primary goals that SBEC seeks to
achieve in educator disciplinary matters are:
1. To protect the safety and welfare of
Texas schoolchildren and school
personnel;
2. To ensure educators and applicants are
morally fit and worthy to instruct or to
supervise the youth of the state; and
3. To fairly and efficiently resolve educator
disciplinary proceedings at the least
expense possible to the parties and the
state.

Why should I become familiar
with the Code of Ethics?
1. It instructs you in regard to what the state
expects of you and your teachers.
2. It instructs parents and the community in
regard to what they should expect of you and
your teachers.
3. If you or one of your teachers violate one of
the standards in the Code, then you and/or
the teacher may have a complaint filed.
4. If the complaint prevails through SBEC, you
and/or the teacher could lose his/her
teaching credentials.


What action can be taken against an
educator for violating the Code of
Ethics?
SBEC may:
1. Deny a certificate.
2. Place restriction on the issuance, renewal or
holding of a certificate, either indefinitely or for a
set term.
3. Issue an inscribed reprimand, which is a formal,
published censure that appears on the face of the
certificate.
4. Issue a non-inscribed reprimand, which is a
formal unpublished censure that does not appear
on the face of the certificate.
5. Suspend a certificate for a set term.
6. Revoke or cancel a certificate without opportunity
for reapplication or for a set term or permanently.

Code of Ethics
Enforceable Standards.
(1) Professional Ethical Conduct, Practices and Performance.

(A) Standard 1.1. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or
recklessly engage in deceptive practices regarding official policies of
the school district, educational institution, educator preparation
program, the Texas Education Agency, or the State Board for Educator
Certification (SBEC) and its certification process.

(B) Standard 1.2. The educator shall not knowingly misappropriate,
divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed
to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage.

(C) Standard 1.3. The educator shall not submit fraudulent requests
for reimbursement, expenses, or pay.
(D) Standard 1.4. The educator shall not use institutional or professional privileges
for personal or partisan advantage.

(E) Standard 1.5. The educator shall neither accept nor offer gratuities, gifts, or
favors that impair professional judgment or to obtain special advantage. This
standard shall not restrict the acceptance of gifts or tokens offered and accepted
openly from students, parents of students, or other persons or organizations in
recognition or appreciation of service.

(F) Standard 1.6. The educator shall not falsify records, or direct or coerce others
to do so.

(G) Standard 1.7. The educator shall comply with state regulations, written local
school board policies, and other state and federal laws.

(H) Standard 1.8. The educator shall apply for, accept, offer, or assign a position or
a responsibility on the basis of professional qualifications.

(I) Standard 1.9. The educator shall not make threats of violence against school
district employees, school board members, students, or parents of students.


(J) Standard 1.10. The educator shall be of good moral character and be worthy to
instruct or supervise the youth of this state.

(K) Standard 1.11. The educator shall not intentionally or knowingly misrepresent
his or her employment history, criminal history, and/or disciplinary record when
applying for subsequent employment.

(L) Standard 1.12. The educator shall refrain from the illegal use or distribution of
controlled substances and/or abuse of prescription drugs and toxic inhalants.

(M) Standard 1.13. The educator shall not consume alcoholic beverages on school
property or during school activities when students are present.
(2) Ethical Conduct Toward Professional Colleagues.

(A) Standard 2.1. The educator shall not reveal confidential health or personnel
information concerning colleagues unless disclosure serves lawful professional
purposes or is required by law.

(B) Standard 2.2. The educator shall not harm others by knowingly making false
statements about a colleague or the school system.

(C) Standard 2.3. The educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and
state and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel.

(D) Standard 2.4. The educator shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise of
political, professional, or citizenship rights and responsibilities.

(E) Standard 2.5. The educator shall not discriminate against or coerce a colleague on
the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, disability, family status, or
sexual orientation.
(F) Standard 2.6. The educator shall not use coercive means or promise of
special treatment in order to influence professional decisions or colleagues.

(G) Standard 2.7. The educator shall not retaliate against any individual who
has filed a complaint with the SBEC or who provides information for a
disciplinary investigation or proceeding under this chapter.
(3) Ethical Conduct Toward Students.

(A) Standard 3.1. The educator shall not reveal confidential information
concerning students unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is
required by law.

(B) Standard 3.2. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or
recklessly treat a student or minor in a manner that adversely affects or
endangers the learning, physical health, mental health, or safety of the
student or minor.

(C) Standard 3.3. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or
recklessly misrepresent facts regarding a student.

(D) Standard 3.4. The educator shall not exclude a student from
participation in a program, deny benefits to a student, or grant an advantage
to a student on the basis of race, color, gender, disability, national origin,
religion, family status, or sexual orientation.

(E) Standard 3.5. The educator shall not intentionally, knowingly, or
recklessly engage in physical mistreatment, neglect, or abuse of a
student or minor.

(F) Standard 3.6. The educator shall not solicit or engage in sexual
conduct or a romantic relationship with a student or minor.

(G) Standard 3.7. The educator shall not furnish alcohol or
illegal/unauthorized drugs to any person under 21 years of age unless
the educator is a parent or guardian of that child or knowingly allow any
person under 21 years of age unless the educator is a parent or
guardian of that child to consume alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs
in the presence of the educator.

(H) Standard 3.8. The educator shall maintain appropriate
professional educator-student relationships and boundaries based on a
reasonably prudent educator standard.

.
(I) Standard 3.9. The educator shall refrain from inappropriate communication with a
student or minor, including, but not limited to, electronic communication such as cell
phone, text messaging, email, instant messaging, blogging, or other social network
communication. Factors that may be considered in assessing whether the
communication is inappropriate include, but are not limited to:

(i) the nature, purpose, timing, and amount of the communication;

(ii) the subject matter of the communication;

(iii) whether the communication was made openly or the educator attempted to
conceal the communication;

(iv) whether the communication could be reasonably interpreted as soliciting
sexual contact or a romantic relationship;

(v) whether the communication was sexually explicit; and

(vi) whether the communication involved discussion(s) of the physical or sexual
attractiveness or the sexual history, activities, preferences, or fantasies of either the
educator or the student
Other Laws You Need to Know
Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation
Employees shall not engage in prohibited
harassment, including sexual harassment, of other
employees or students.
While acting in the course of your employment,
employees shall not engage in prohibited
harassment of other persons including Board
members, vendors, contractors, volunteers or
parents.
Sexual and other harassment of students by
employees are forms of discrimination and are
prohibited by law.
Employees who suspect a student may have
experienced prohibited harassment are obligated
to report their concerns to the campus principal or
other appropriate district official.

Why Is It So Important to Know
About Sexual Harassment?
A person who sexually harasses an employee can be held
personally liable.

An administrator may be held liable if it can be
proved:
1. One of the administrators subordinate employees violated
the plaintiffs constitutional rights.
2. The administrator received notice of the unconstitutional
acts committed by the subordinate.
3. The administrator demonstrated deliberate indifference to
the offensive acts.
4. The administrator failed to take sufficient remedial action.
5. The administrators failure caused injury to the plaintiff.



Improper Relationship With
Student
Its a Crime

1. Its punishable by law if a District employee
engages in sexual contact, sexual intercourse
or deviate sexual intercourse with a primary
or secondary school student in the school at
which the employee works and who is not the
employees spouse.
2. There is no age limitation
3. Violation of this law is a second-degree felony
New TEA Definition
Romantic Relationship

Solicitation of a romantic relationship--Deliberate or repeated acts that can be
reasonably interpreted as the solicitation by an educator of a relationship with a
student that is romantic in nature. A romantic relationship is often characterized by a
strong emotional or sexual attachment and/or by patterns of exclusivity, but does
not include appropriate educator-student relationships that arise out of legitimate
contexts such as familial connections or longtime acquaintance. The following acts,
considered in context, may constitute prima facie evidence of the solicitation by an
educator of a romantic relationship with a student:
(A) behavior, gestures, expressions, or communications with a student that are
unrelated to the educator's job duties and evidence a romantic intent or interest in
the student, including statements of love, affection, or attraction. Factors that may
be considered in determining the romantic intent of such communications or
behavior, include, without limitation:
(i) the nature of the communications;
(ii) the timing of the communications;
(iii) the extent of the communications;
(iv) whether the communications were made openly or secretly;
(v) the extent that the educator attempts to conceal the communications;
(vi) if the educator claims to be counseling a student, the State Board for Educator
Certification may consider whether the educator's job duties included counseling,
whether the educator reported the subject of the counseling to the student's
guardians or to the appropriate school personnel, or, in the case of alleged abuse
or neglect, whether the educator reported the abuse or neglect to the appropriate
authorities; and
(vii) any other evidence tending to show the context of the communications between
educator and student;
(B) making inappropriate comments about a student's body, creating or transmitting
sexually suggestive photographs or images, or encouraging the student to transmit
sexually suggestive photographs or images;
(C) making sexually demeaning comments to a student;
(D) making comments about a student's potential sexual performance;
(E) requesting details of a student's sexual history;
(F) requesting a date, sexual contact, or any activity intended for the sexual gratification
of the educator;
(G) engaging in conversations regarding the sexual problems, preferences, or fantasies of
either party;
(H) inappropriate hugging, kissing, or excessive touching;
(I) providing the student with drugs or alcohol;
(J) suggestions that a romantic relationship is desired after the student
graduates, including post-graduation plans for dating or marriage; and
(K) any other acts tending to show that the educator solicited a romantic
relationship with a student.
What is the Definition of Sexual
Harassment?
Sexual Harassment means
unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors or other verbal or physical
conduct of a sexual nature, submission to
which is made a term of condition of a
persons exercise or enjoyment of any
right, privilege, power or immunity, either
explicitly or implicitly.


$64,000 Award to student
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHKcKvb-30g
Employee to Student Sexual
Harassment
1. Employee will not sexually harass or sexually abuse a student
2. Sexual harassment of students includes, but is not limited to:
a) Any welcome or unwelcome sexual advances
b) Requests for sexual favors; and
c) Other verbal (oral or written), physical or visual conduct
of a sexual nature.
3. Romantic relationships between District employees and
students constitutes unprofessional conduct and are
prohibited.

Employee to Employee Sexual
Harassment
1. Employee shall not sexually harass other employees.
2. Sexual harassment of other employees includes, but is not limited to:
a) Unwelcome sexual advances
b) Requests for sexual favors
c) Other verbal (oral or written), physical or visual conduct of
a sexual nature
3. Such conduct constitutes sexual harassment when:
a. Submission to such conduct is implicitly or explicitly made a term or condition of
employment
b. Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment
decision
c. Has the purpose of effect for unreasonably interfering with an individuals work
performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
4. Sexual harassment includes same-sex harassment.
Student to Student Sexual
Harassment
1. Students shall not sexually harass or abuse other
students.
2. Students shall not sexually harass employees.
3. Sexual harassment by a student includes unwanted
or unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual
nature, whether by word, gesture or any sexual
conduct, including requests for sexual favors.
4. Appropriate action shall be taken to address
harassment or abuse.